Deadline reports that character actor Danny Woodburn has joined the cast of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' as Splinter, the turtles' mentor who also happens to be a rat. It's like one of those cute internet videos of unlikely animal pairs cohabiting, but with a rat teaching turtles how to do martial arts and be all Zen and stuff.

Woodburn's previous acting credits include 'Seinfeld' and last year's 'Mirror, Mirror,' and he joins a cast that already includes Megan Fox, Will Arnett, and a quartet of young actors as the titular turtles -- Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, and Adam Ritchson. The film will be a live action/CGI hybrid, produced by Michael Bay and directed by Jonathan Liebesman, who previously helmed 'Battle: Los Angeles' and 'Wrath of the Titans.'

The character of Splinter was previously portrayed on the big screen as a giant puppet, voiced by Kevin Clash, the puppet master who created and voiced Elmo on 'Sesame Street.' We're unsure if Splinter will be in CG or animatronic form this time around, but Woodburn definitely has the chops to bring him to life.